As a single parent it's very challenging to avoid my daughters to watch tv or get on their electronics. I don't make it home until 6pm (or sometimes later) so my Kindergarten-er is usually finishing up her homework while I'm making dinner which isn't ideal because although she knows her ABCs and knows how to right them, she is not confident enough to do them without me next to her. Although my oldest daughter picks up her from school, her homework isn't completed until I get home. This is in part because I want to be part of her hw process. My other daughter, who is a Junior, has basketball practice until 5pm each day - we both get home at the same time. So by the time she gets home, she's exhausted adn wants a little break. I let her unwind however she sees fit and she hits the books after dinner (7:30pm >

When my kids come back from school, they set down their backpacks at the dining room table, get a quick snack, and go right to work. I never let them go to their rooms to do homework, because who knows what they're doing? They could be procrastinating their work to get out of doing it. I'm always there making supper at the same time as they are working, so they can be under constant supervision. When they finish homework, I let them go outside and play for a while. Then the family eats supper, they do whatever until 8:00, when they take a bath and go to bed.

For my kids, they are in an aftercare program at school. They get out of school at 3:00, go to the aftercare program, where they get a snack and do their homework. There are also volunteers, teachers, and high school students there to help (and get community help credits). I pick them up at 4:30 and we have a 45 minute commute by car to the house. This is when they usually fall asleep.Once we get home, they change their clothes and immediately to the kitchen table where they finish up what they didn't do and/or talk to my husband and I about their work so we can review and make sure they are doing it correctly all while their dad and I are cooking.It's a great family time to talk about our day and we are also aware of what's going on at school.No TV, no electronics until 6:30pmDinner, play, relaxation, bath and bed by 8:00 (my kids are 2nd and 3rd graders)It works for us.

We take a short break, snack, put away stuff from school but have to jump right in since it is 4pm by then and my son's brain power shuts off by 5pm. so were we to take a break homework would not be possible for him.We do work in increments of time though lots of very short breaks since we may be dealing with some attention issues. and of course, we would all like to take some time to kick back at the end of a long day, but we work with what we have, and we all have different needs/bodies/chemicals in our brains.

I recently learned just how stressed my 13 yr old is after 7 hours of school all day, of course they need to depress, don't you when you come home? Of course you do. Respect them as well. Their brains need to decompress as well and play, be creative, imagine, reenergize. This is also needed to be able to learn, think etc and has been scientifically proven that its needed as well as being well rounded in the Arts to do well. Just find a routine that works for your child and for gods sake.. Please listen to your children when they try and tell you their stressed or its to much ...just listen to them, they do have feelings and opinions as we do as adults. Your shaping them into the adults they will become so be careful what you say, DO, WATCH, speak, act, words, and how you treat them and act around them .

Research shows that multitasking--watching tv or computer and doing homework at the same time, limits the amount of deep learning that can take place. It is much wiser to focus on one task and do it well. I believe that different students need different accommodations for homework--boys especially may need to get some energy out before tackling homework. If it works for your child, then keep doing what you are doing. If the child is not being successful, then look at other ways to make them successful at completing their homework.